                1. Field        
Embodiments of the invention are broadly directed to systems and methods of assessing power lines for possible damage. More specifically, embodiments of the invention send a signal through a virtual circuit established along a line configured to provide electric current to one or more lights, then receive and analyze a responsive signal to determine if the line is damaged and leaking current.                2. Related Art        
Large environmental lighting systems, such as streetlights, are powered by current-carrying power lines buried along pathways from regularly spaced control boxes, known as pedestals. If these underground lines are damaged, even only partially, the rate at which current leaks into the earth will significantly increase, causing the lights to flicker, dim, or completely fail to operate.
Damage to the lines supplying power to lights commonly occurs when other lines, such as fiber optic cables, are being buried. Such cables are not typically buried by digging a long trench, but rather by digging a hole at each end of the desired path and drilling a path between the holes. The cable is then pushed down the drilled hole. This method requires the movement of much less earth, but can completely or partially damage power lines along the drilled path. The cables are typically laid during the daytime, when the lines supplying power to the lights are not electrified, negating any danger that the operator of the drill will be shocked. However, unelectrified lines also means that any damage to the line will be unknown until the next time the lines are electrified, typically later that night. By this time, the operator may no longer be present and/or able to fix the problem.
A simple method of assessing the integrity of a power line is to electrify the line to a voltage level sufficient to power the lights and then check to see if each light is functioning. However, this powering the lines during the day is expensive and inconvenient for the particular provider of utilities (e.g., the local city government or municipality). Additionally, powering the lines during the daytime may be dangerous for workers and bystanders. What is needed is an improved system and method for determining whether or not power lines have been damaged enough to impact the functioning of large, environmental lights without having to activate the lights.